Newspaper Page Text
Vol. XLV
IfffP
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry - Established
Two Section*—16 F\ n geS* °' U ® k '* N ° ' M
' oxS a0 v»tV "*
Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, July 17, 1970
Cantor Nixes Services R e( j ff 0 / e j„ Mt. -Si° /’usAes
f/.S. to Balance Commitment
ing New York cantor has de
nounced experimental Jewish
worship services based on rock
music, charging that application
of rock “to sacred religious texts
demeans the sanctity of wor
ship.” Cantor David J. Putter-
man of the Park Avenue Syna
gogue called some of the experi
mental services “totally de
basing.” Writing in the spring,
1970 issue of “Conservative Ju
daism,” the publication of the
Rabbinical Assembly and the
Jewish Theological Seminary
Cantor Putt erman asked
whether anyone could ‘“picture
the Hazzan on the pulpit in
front of the sacred Ark, flooded
by psychedelic multi-colored
lighting, chanting Kol Nidre or
Un’sane Tokef, accompanied by
souped-up electronic effects, ges
ticulating, shaking his body in
affected pseudo-sexual contor
tions, in order to emphasize the
frenetic rhythms of rock-and-
roll.”
He asserted that the “ideal
form of Jewish service is a
happy blending of the old and
the new, as befits an evolving
religion and civilization.” But, he
added, the new elements should
be “spiritual and esthetic and
new synagogue music should in
terpret and enhance the mean
ing of the liturgical texts.” Des
cribing experiments which met
JMl standard* m “musical cre
ativity”' ffie cantor noted that
the Park Avenue Synagogue
had, during the past 25 years,
commissioned 64 American and
Israeli composers “to write new
music for Friday evening
services and their works
were performed at the syna
gogue.
He listed the composers as in
cluding Leonard Bernstein,
Ernest Bloch, Lukas Foss, Mor
ton Gould, Paul Ben Haim,
Darius Milhaud, Karl Salomon
and Kurt Weill. He reported
that some of the compositions
were "dissonant, and at times,'
jazzy,” but overall, “it is re
ligious in spirit, consent and
Bond Group
To Mark 20th
At Israel
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The
Twentieth Anniversary confer
ence of the Israel Bond drive
wil be held in Jerusalem Au
gust 14-28, Finance Minister
Pinhas Sapir, announced this
week.
U. S. Bond Drive chairman
Sam Rothberg told the press
that mote than $1.5 billion worth
of , honds have been sold
throughout the world during
the past 20 years.
In the first six months of this
year sales have reached $88 mil
lion, more than 18 percent higher
than last year. By the end of the
year it is hoped that about $200
million will have been sold.
Eighty-five percent of all
sales have been made in the
U.S. Mr. Rothberg said so far
$700 million has been redeem
ed. Of this, some $60 million was
spent by tourists in Israel, $140
million was given as gifts to the
Jewish Agency and other insti
tutions in Israel and $115 mil
lion of bonds were converted
into Israeli pounds ,gad invested
in local industries.
aware that they were setting
their music to sacred texts to be
sung in a House of God, not by
a performer doing his ‘thing.*
but a sheliach tsibbur, an emis
sary and representative of the
congregation in prayer to God.”
Commenting that rock music
“has no monopoly on the ‘con
temporary* label,” the cantor
warned that rabbis' and cantors
“must beware of accepting nov
elty for its own sake, and seek
to enhance services in ways that
are meaningful rather than de
meaning, that add new depths
rather than a novel facade.”
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Assis
tant Secretary of State Joseph
J. Sisco acknowledged Sunday
that the “heavy” Soviet involve
ment in the Middle East has
“affected the balance” in that
region and declared that “the
United States is resolved to do
anything necessary" to preserve
it. Mr. Sisco, whQ heads the
State Department’s Near East
and South Asia division, made
his remarks on the NBC tele
vision program, “Meet the
Press.” “The heavy Soviet in
volvement has injected a new
qualitative factor,” he said. He
declined to say whether the U.S.
will provide Israel with the ad
ditional combat jets it has re
quested or to comment on a
Newsweek report that additional
planes have already been sold.
Mr. Sisco referred to Presi
dent Richard M. Nixon’s pledge
of July 1 to preserve Israel’s
deterrent strength and told the
newsmen, “Just take President
Nixon’s’ statement at face val-
Eban Proposes Israel - Egyptian
Reps Lay Basis for Negotiations
JERUSALEM (JTA)— Foreign
Minister Abba Eban proposed
that Israeli and Egyptian rep
resentatives meet informally to
lay the groundwork for “effec
tive and realistic negotiations
without which there can be no
thawing of any international
conflict." Mr. Eban made his of
fer in the course of a lengthy
political statement to the Knes
set in which he outlined in detail
Israel’s principles for a peaceful
settlement of the Middle East
dispute. "It has been proven by
experience "that aH political
moves which are not determined
by the countries of the area
have no result,” Mr. Eban said.
He denounced the latest Soviet
proposals which he contended
was “not a peace plan but a plan
designed to endanger Israel’s
security and to maintain con
tinuous tension in the Middle
East by an accurate reconstruc
tion of the situation that pro
duced the 1967 war.” Mr. Eban
said that “such plans have been
defined by United States rep
resentatives and others as a
prescription for the renewal of
aggression.”
The Israeli Foreign Minister
charged that when President
Nasser of Egypt speaks of peace
"he does not mean peace with
Israel in the Middle East but
peace in the Middle East with
out Israel.” Nevertheless, Mr.
Eban suggested that as a first
step to break the deadlock,
"Egypt and Israel send author
ized representatives to an
agreed place In order to decide
together, without prejudice to
their respective positions and
claims, on the arrangements, the
framework and the formulation
of subjects and procedures for
official negotiations.” The For
eign Minister said that Israel
was ready to accept the cease
fire of June, 1967 and to ne
gotiate “freely and directly with
every Arab state.” He said Is
rael would welcome an invita
tion from the United Nations’
special Mideast envoy, Ambassa
dor Gunnar V. Jarring, to all
parties concerned “to conduct
negotiations on the establish
ment of peace and to hold such
peace conference according to
the Rhodes procedure.” Mr.
Eban’s reference was to the 1949
Arab-Israeli armistice negotia
tions on the island of Rhodes
attended by representatives of
both sides under the aegis of
ue.” The Assistant Secretary
agreed that grave dangers were
present in the Mideast. He said
the U.S. was relying “on a very
important diplomatic initiative,”
a reference to Secretary of State
William ’ P. . Rogers’ proposals.
“We are anxious for a political
solution. We want to reduce So®
viet influence in 'the area,” he
said. He estimated Soviet
strength in Egypt at 8-10,000
men and reported “a recent sub
stantial increase in ship off-load-
dings and plane landings” in
that country.” He said the Rus
sians appeared to be sending
amphibious equipment to Egypt
and remarked that “it doesn’t
look like defensive equipment to
me.” Mr. Sisco said the Russians
have rejected every offer to limit
arms shipments to the Mideast.
He said if Secretary Rogers’
latest initiative failed, it would
be ‘“another lost opportunity.’*'
Two UR. Senators, members
of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, agreed in separate
interviews that the Middle East
was far more important to the
United States than Vietnam and
constituted a graver threat to the
free world. Sen. Jacob K. Javits,
New York Republican, spoke on
the NBC television, program
Searchlight, and Sen. Stuart
Symington, Missouri Democrat,
spoke on the CBS television pm-'
Dr. Ralph Bunche of the United
Nations. Israel has claimed that ([ram the Nation. Sen.
the final stages of the Rhodes j av its said the Middle East crSi
negotiations included face-to-face has “infinitely g^ter urgency
meetings between Israeli and
Arab representatives and cites
this as a precedent for future
direct negotiations. The Arabs
insist that no face-to-face meet
ings took place at Rhodes.
Mr. Eban emphasized that the
establishment of peace frontiers
with Israel’s neighbors “is open
to negotiation and agreement
Continued on page 5
-Think Piece
JWVConvention Backdrop-'51/70
By ADOLPH ROSENBERG
When Jewish War Veterans
delegates from x throughout the
United States gather in Atlanta
August 13-17 for their annual
encampment it will present quite
a different picture from the
convention two decades ago.
The 1951 convention saw the
rising star of Paul Ginsberg,
then the national JWV Judge
Advocate. His race for the
national commandership was
quite a contested event, parti
ally because he hailed from
“the stix” as Atlanta and most
other areas outside the “master
area” was then known.
Somehow the fiction prevailed
as it still does with many na
tional Jewish organizations that
leadership can only come from
the alleged mystique of the New
York area, which is flexible
enough to extend as far away as
Boston and Baltimore but all
else Is verboten.
to vie for any top position in the
organization.
In the main the difference lies
primarily in the make-up of the
membership itself and in the
general climate of public opinion
which surrounds the convention.
In 1951, the organization was
so to speak on the ascendency
of popularity since the blush of
the huge World War n public
patriotic sell had not worn off.
Moreover the fickle American
public was still under the illus
ion of well-being. World War
II had been waged with flair
and fan-fare — just as the
American public likes it and af
terwards there had been great
hue and cry to bring the boys
home. Statesmen' could not
stand In the way and there were
ticker tape parades and this im
mature public did not know the
extent of the sell-out they had
_ „ . . . carried off for the Soviets. Ut-
Followers of Ginsberg feU. erally ^ demand to .< bring ^
leadership is not a matter^ of boys hofne" had in effect turned
geography and this thinking
prevailed. The Atlantan tinned
in an adequate accounting of his
presidency, setting, a pace for
the top ptet for maAiy years to
cqqpae. * 3 ,t;‘'’ s,
Atlanta for a convention,
• • * *
Moreover the age of the World
War n participants was in 1951
at a certain stage called “prime”
ready and willing to challenge
the World War I leadership
which until then and for even
years later had been in ascen
dency.
Among the Atlantans, A. B.
Reisman. I. Heiman, Mac Fran-
kel, Harry Harrison and other
stalwart World War I veterans
dominated JWV activities. There
was even a sprinkling of veter
ans who had seen service in the
Spanish-American War — not
ably Ben Brodie and Mike
Greenblatt (musician-composer-
arranger of the popular Ram
blin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech)
Both Brodie and Greenblatt
died in the early 1950’s. Of
the World War II leaders most
have passed on. Harry Harrison
who was convention chairman
and who later paced the Na
tional JWV Memorial facilities
has since retired from Gate City
Table Co. and is now living in
things over in certain European
areas on 6 silver platter to the Miami. He will be very much
k e da t in evidence at the Atlanta eon-
Keen analysts among the vet- vention but the invigorating
enns today hear the same hue guidance he furnished the 1951
ir ... ,, i. . , *hd cry in reference to Vietnam convention is not being duplics-
No Atlante er SbutheA cto-*. anti R wffl be a sombre group ted for the 1970 sessions,
didate is vUtble on the horizon <*-• veterans who will gather in 2L Ton to page 8
for the United States” than the
situation in Vietnam. "The fund
amental interest and indeed the
future of the entire free world”
depends on the outcome of the
Mideast conflict, he said and
“we’re not going to let if go
down the drain.” Sen. Javits
said he did not think Israel
would launch a pre-emptive
strike at Soviet missile bases
across the Suez Canal, adding,
‘‘I hope they don’t.”
Sen. Symington called the
Mideast situation "infinitely
more serious” and “more impor
tant to the U.S. than Vietnam.”
He said Soviet success in that
region would make it the dom
inant factor in the Mideast and
“the whole concept of NATO
would fall on its face.” He warn
ed, that the failure to sell more
jets to Israel “would guarantee
Israel’s destruction.” He said he
didn’t think the U.S. had a secret
agreement to supply more jets
to Israel. Sources in Washington ,
reported over the weekend that
the Defense Department has
warned the Nixon Administra
tion against military involve:
ment in the Mideast. According
to the sources, the Defense De
partment recognizes that the U.S.
possesses no immediate military
means of intervening except the
Sixth Fleet, but use of the fleet
in the Mideast struggle would
not have the backing of Amer
ica’s NATO allies. The Sixth
Fleet presently is said to
number 40 ships, two aircraft
carriers and a total of 153 planes.
American naval doctrine calls
for the dispatch of one or two
additional carriers to crisis areas,
but since this has not been done
in the. Mediterranean, the indi
cations are that there is no seri
ous consideration of employing
U.S. Jnilitary power in that area,
Stuure$ said.